News from ECSA: April 2025

How can we enhance the prominence and visibility of European works on music streaming services, while promoting European cultural diversity and niche repertoires? On 13 May, ECSA and Classical:NEXT co-organise the upcoming Creators’ Talks panel, titled “Discoverability and cultural diversity in the digital age” in Berlin, Germany. During the panel, Esther Gottschalk (Director, Nieuw Geneco), Zahra Mani (ECSA Vice-President) and Dr. Jannick Kirk Sørensen (Associate Professor, Aalborg University) will delve into the issue of the availability and accessibility of cultural content on digital platforms, questioning the multifaceted role of algorithmic recommendations in shaping visibility for creators and affecting cultural diversity. The panel is open to anyone with access to Classical:NEXT. The Classical:NEXT conference is a global networking and exchange hub dedicated exclusively to classical and art music, for all music professionals.

On 22 April, we published the very first episode of our new podcast series, titled Tune in Dialogues. The first episode guides you through the challenges posed by AI training to music authors, creators, and other rightsholders in the context of the current EU legal framework, and includes a recording of the panel "Copyright and Generative AI: Fundamental Challenges for Creators and the Way Forward", which took place at our Creators Conference last month. The panel features Alexandra Bensamoun (Université Paris-Saclay), Helienne Lindvall (ECSA), Dominick Luquer (FIA), and Julia Niebler-Kaiser (GEMA). The podcast is available on all platforms on the link below. Find more information on our Tune in Dialogues series on this link.

In a statement published on 9 April, various organisations representing creators, culture sectors and human rights defenders in Europe, including ECSA, called on the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and national human rights agencies to document and monitor violations of artistic freedom in Europe. Today, threats and violations of basic artistic and cultural rights remain largely overlooked, even though we live in a time in which freedom of artistic expression for artists and cultural institutions and organisations in Europe is increasingly under pressure. We therefore call on the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights as well as on national human rights institutions to engage and allocate resources to systematically incorporate documentation of artistic freedom violations in their work, reports and advocacy. Cultural actors across Europe should not be silenced, but should be empowered to contribute to vibrant, democratic, and pluralistic societies. Find the full list of signatories in the statement below.

Last month, ECSA organised the Creators Conference at the European Parliament in Brussels, gathering music creators, EU policy makers and stakeholders across the cultural and creative sectors to exchange on the challenges affecting music creators’ livelihoods and shape the future of the music sector. You can take a look back at the conference with our aftermovie. The conference was hosted by Members of the European Parliament Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (EPP – Poland) and Emma Rafowicz (S&D – France), co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, and supported by ZAiKS, GEMA, BumaStemra, SACEM, SABAM, PRS, and OSA.

This month, ECSA has signed a petition calling to “Save the Cultural Field in Styria”, initiated by IG Kultur Steiermark. The petition states that due to the decreasing cultural funding budgets of the Austrian province, as well as the lack of professional competence and a party-political composition of the new cultural board of trustees of the province, the cultural future of Styria is under threat. The petition demands to save local cultural providers, and calls for new appointments to the Cultural Board of Trustees; to raise the culture budgets; and to implement the Styrian Cultural Strategy 2030. Read the full petition and sign via the link below.

On 24 and 25 April, the Polish presidency of the Council of the EU hosted a conference on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on media and the creative industries in the beautiful city of Łódź, Poland. ECSA Secretary General Marc du Moulin attended the conference, which featured high level discussions on the use of AI tools in copyright protection, the impact of AI on the audiovisual sector, the use of AI tools to improve collective management of copyright and related rights, and much more.

On 30 April, ECSA President Helienne Lindvall speaks at a networking lunch organised by ECSA member Screen Composers Guild of Ireland (SCGI) and Ireland’s Creative Europe desk. In a keynote speech, Helienne will focus on the current challenges and opportunities facing film and television composers in the age of AI. Moreover, Helienne will provide an overview of the current developments in EU legislation around the EU AI Act, ECSA’s recent advocacy work around this topic, and the challenges of audiovisual composers beyond AI, as outlined in ECSA’s report on audiovisual composers’ contracts.

This month, Festival Internacional de Cine de Alicante (Alicante International Film Festival) revealed that ECSA Honorary Vice-President Luis Ivars will receive the Premio Música para la Imagen (Music for Image Award). The award, which highlights music in audiovisual projects and recognises the work of composers, will be presented to Luis during the closing ceremony of the Alicante International Film Festival on 24 May at the Teatro Principal in Alicante, Spain, in recognition of his dedication and talent in composing film music throughout his career. ECSA congratulates Luis with this prestigious recognition. Find more info in the press release of the Alicante International Film Festival below.

This month, French ECSA member Union Nationale des Auteurs et des Compositeurs (UNAC) awarded its Grand Prix (Lifetime Tribute) to composer, musician, key figure in contemporary musical creation, and former ECSA Board Member Wally Badarou. As UNAC states, Wally is a pioneer in the use of the synthesizer, and has left his mark on music internationally. He has also been actively committed to defending the rights of composers songwriters, serving as director of UNAC and SACEM as well as in ECSA's Board. We warmly congratulate Wally with this acknowledgement. Find more info via UNAC (in French) below.

On 16 April, during the Dutch Music in Media Awards (MIMA’s), long-time former ECSA member and Dutch film composer Loek Dikker was honoured with the Oeuvre Award Music in Media. He receives the award in recognition of his exceptional contribution to Dutch and international film music, jazz and music in media. ECSA extends its warm congratulations to Loek on receiving this distinction for his lifetime career. The MIMA’s are an annual award show hosted by Buma Music in Motion. Find more info on the link below.

On and around 21 June, the fourth edition of Composer's Day, organised by network and platform New Music NOW (of which Dutch ECSA member Nieuw Geneco is a collaborative partner) will take place in the Netherlands. During this national festival, more than twenty participating Dutch cities will put their composers in the spotlight with a variety of activities, such as concerts, workshops, and lectures. The public can travel from station to station with the New Music NOW Express. Live performances will take place in the train's carriages and at the stations. Radio station NPO Klassiek and the online music platform newmusicnow.nl will devote plenty of attention to Dutch new music art. Find the press release in English below (click on "Press announcement Composer's Day").

On 10 May, ECSA member Austrian Composers Association (ACOM) organises its yearly Austrian Composers Day. This year’s edition will focus on the impact of AI on music authors and the music industry. Various national and international experts will present the current state of developments in a series of lectures, Q&A’s and panel sessions related to copyright law, present practical applications, and answer questions from local musicians. The event will also include musical performances.

This month, film conference AfroCannes opened its registrations. Launched in 2022 and organised by Yanibes Foundation during the Cannes Film Festival in France, AfroCannes is a four-day event featuring panel discussions, country highlights, presentations, screenings, receptions and tributes. AfroCannes aims at promoting diversity, inclusion in film across the industry, while connecting creatives, businesses and stakeholders from the entire film ecosystem in Cannes. Registration is free and there is no need for market or festival badges. Find more info via AfroCannes below.

On 14 May, Liveurope’s annual celebration of Europe through music returns, under the title “EUphoria”. Organised in the frame of Europe Day, the event includes discussions on the future of Europe and music, networking opportunities, and concerts, all dedicated to showcasing the diversity and vibrancy of European music. The event takes place at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Belgium. Find the full programme and info to register via Liveurope below.